Here we go with another new month and I can feel summer slipping away too fast. It's very cool these mornings when I let the dogs out but I still sip my coffee on the deck because it's a long winter.

July was not a stellar month for weightloss - the Fair and too many BBQ parties and other food events - although I did get back to the gym. BGL has been pretty stable though. Now to keep it up.

I'm off to Ottawa for dinner and overnight at my friend Shirleyanne's place. She will have excellent food but is a real Carb Queen. It's a sit-down dinner which is more of a challenge than buffet because people notice what you leave on your plate. I'll try to get out into the kitchen to help with the plating. I know there will be a birthday cake and am going to plead a BGL problem to avoid eating it.

What are your strategies for avoiding over-the-top foods? I do plan to take along Fiber 1 and dried fruit for tomorrow's breakfast.

__________________

Change isnít easy. But if you donít change, you stay the same, and whereís the fun in that?

RUTH ~ honestly, we don't eat out at other people's place that much; but when we do, I fill my plate with veggies and salad (if any) plus some meat. If they are serving potatoes or something like that, we just have a bit. There are times when you don't have the greatest choices, but I just take a smaller serving of the starchy stuff, or skip it, if I can. It depends what it is. It's funny, at home we only eat a small plate or bowl of food, sometimes if I am eating out and they have lots of salad, I may eat a bit more of that.

You've got me thinking -- that I will likely take some of my favorite stuff along on my holidays, just in case ... I mean for snacks and breakfast, for instance.

We had chicken drums with lots of veggies for dinner tonight; plus I baked some rhubarb/apple/strawberry compote, and baked two banana-blueberry bran loaves for DH for his snacks. When I make my breakfast slice, I cut the sugar and add some whey protein powder for some of the flour.

I love how the temps are cooling off a bit. Hope you all had a great 1st day of August ... Rosebud

FBS back up. So confusing when you are following a plan. I was looking at the plan the doctor gave me and Hubby and I decided to follow it and see what happens. Starting it tomorrow. It is a combo of Calorie/Carb counting plan. I've got to have some energy so that I can start exercising in order to lose weight at the same time.

We did get up and go to church this morning. Tony had decided last night that he wanted to go. I got up and ate breakfast and felt terrible and checked BS 1 1/2 hours after breakfast since I wouldn't be able to at 2 hrs. My BS reading was 285. I didn't really feel like going but since he hasn't been able to go for over 2 months, I couldn't tell him I didn't feel up to it. I set in church and felt like I was drugged and off in another world. When I got home, I checked it 2 hrs after dinner and it was 138. If I can get some energy, I can start exercising. Strange thing is that it was 101 when I went to bed and 137 this morning. I feel like I'm on a roller coaster with this. But I know if I can get enough energy to exercise that it would make a big difference.

TRISH ~ Remember now, that could be the "DAWN EFFECT" playing games with ya ... so don't get too upset. It may not be what you are eating, but that 285/17.8 number sounds over the top to me ... when my uncle was sick, he said he could get numbers as high as 22 or 352; so it can happen. Do you want to share what you ate for breakfast? I try to match my carb intake with protein; even leaning more on the protein side.

You know, my doctor only got me to check my BSL's in the AM upon waking; and after eating, at least 2+ hours before I ate my next snack or meal. If you are eating any snacks in between, they could be running into your meal numbers too (esp if they are carby snacks). These checks were optional and only for my information to see where they stood after each meal. After awhile, I only had to check in the AM.

We have to remember that even fruit is a carb and some have a lot of fructose sugars in them (ie pears, bananas, apples, etc). I cut all those type in half now; wrap them in paper towel and put them in the fridge and they stay great for later or even the next day. Berries have less fructose in them, so I try to eat them more often now, like blueberries, strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, and rhubarb. Am fortunate to pick my own blueberries and rhubarb; froze them in little baggies and containers.

How about just going for a short, fast walk; get those arms swinging and go a bit faster than usual, then slow down, and pick it up again (in spurts). It doesn't have to be for that long; start with 10 minutes, if needs be. Something is better than nothing.

My DH told me he saw a lady walking/jogging around the bases of our local baseball diamond to try and help her get into better shape. Think she wants to try and play baseball in a mixed league, and is practicing for it. Even if she just goes around them a few times; after awhile, it will get easier.

Just keep going and try not to worry so much. Our bodies are different and we all react differently to different things. VIVE LA DIFFERANCE!!!

Rosebud Thanks. I tried adding some protein powder to my oatmeal to give me more protein and I think it didn't work. It made me sick at my stomach. I was more careful what I ate yesterday. I did eat a Pure Protein bar that seems to bring my BS reading back down but it hurts my stomach as well. I will either keep them or give them to my Pastor's wife who uses them. This morning my FBS was back down to 119. The fruit doesn't seem to bother my BS which really surprised me. But I'm not eating more than 2 servings a day and one is blackberries or blueberries. Yesterday I use some low carb yogurt in the oatmeal and I've also tried the Greek yogurt and I don't like it and I'm thinking I can't eat yogurt any more. I only put a little in my oatmeal, but may be enough to throw me off. I'm also thinking I'm not sleeping enough. I notice that when I don't get at least 7 or 8 hrs sleep the readings are a little higher. I agree about the exercise. Saturday I was feeling groggy, but had things that I had to do. I tested my BS after getting all that stuff done and BS reading was 101.

I don't know if I mentioned that I read the materials the doctor gave me originally and I understand what some of the good carbs can do to bring the readings down and keep it level. I'm beginning to think that it is important to have some of them in our diet and to learn portion control. I think things will get easier too because Tony and I are doing it together.

Costco is on our agenda today so will get lots of walking done. We usually eat at Sonny's BBQ when we go there which is nice because I find it easy to stay OP. Already know what I'm ordering. We eat and then go to Costco. I look for today to be a better day.

I am doing the 2 hr check after food to see how the foods work for me. I had oatmeal, blackberries and 2 scoops of Greek yogurt for breakfast. 2 hrs later reading was 187 so I don't think I'm eating that any more. When we went to lunch I ate corn-on-the-cob with my lunch and 2 hrs later my reading was 129.

I went to the Accu-Chek site and found some forms that I copied and decided to just test some things and am using the ACE American College of Endocrinology recommendations rather than the ADA. They recommend a reading of <140 mg/dl 2 hrs after a meal. I actually started feeling better as I was eating my lunch.

Since I don't like oatmeal without yogurt and fruit, I've decided not to eat it any more. I will go back to eating SBD breakfasts.

My step-sisters hubby tested after all the food he ate to learn what he could and couldn't eat of the foods he likes. He has kept his BS normal ever since. My perscription was for only 1 BS check a day so I'm buying more strips on my own. I'm thinking of switching to Relion products from Walmart since they are much cheaper. Do any of you use them and if so do you like them? Pharmacist said I could have the doctor write the prescription for more and Medicare will pay for them, but I read on another site that then you have to keep up with it to be turned into the doc so he can turn it into Medicare. Does anyone know if that is true? Once I know what I can and can't eat, I don't want to be stuck having to check so often. I appreciate your help.

THAT'S GREAT, TRISH ~ I'm so glad that you are feeling better and you have more leeway in your readings too. I think what your BIL did was a good idea too; that way you know what foods sends your numbers up and what doesn't. I don't eat cereal near as much as I used to; only on rare occasion, and it is usually bran based.

We had here all day on and off, so just stayed home and did some laundry, etc. I had steak & mushroom medley, and a broccoli-cabbage slaw for dinner tonight. Tea time now!

was away for our long weekend. It was a big camping out thing, with lots of friends, drinking, leisure, food etc.
I made a sugar free low carb cheesecake, some homemade low carb icecream, and salads, a red coleslaw, a greek salad, and a great "potato" salad using cauliflower instead of potatoes, so it was also low carb. Set a different salad out for each meal, and choose a meat serving to go with it. I also ate anything else that was out and appropriate to low carb. I did really well. Had one alcoholic beverage only, and one small dish of regular ice cream by accident (thinking it was mine). Sugars were great and I didn't gain any weight. My goal was to manage a fun weekend without going off the rails.
I feel like I really did it. It was so important, to be able to enjoy myself with friends without it being all about excess. We also walked and swam, and there were tons of little ones to play with and generally enjoy. Only problem was that the long drive did my back in, so I wasn't as active as I wanted to be. Swimming was the best.

Tomorrow we leave for the cottage, where we can be a bit lower key with just the two of us. ttfn

__________________Fatmad
zen and the art of weight loss, finding the true path of en-lighten-ment

Patty, you are doing well. We can control this thing and will probably end up healthier than we ever were.

Fatmad, you did really well at your foodie events. I find it fairly easy when I can serve myself. It's these sit-down, pre-served dinners that are difficult. I did OK over the weekend though.

Rosebud, good advice on fruits and also on walking. I am starting to really speed it up, even for short walks like from the road into the Post Office. When things cool off a wee bit, I am going to take a dog and walk the 1/4 mile track at the fairgrounds. My dogs need the exercise and there are no distractions there.

I'm off to Stratford tomorrow morning early on the train. I have tickets for Christopher Plummer in The Tempest and will try to eat very lightly before the show. I sure don't need a heavy meal before theatre - my B&B offers a huge meal which I will turn down in favour of a salad of some sort beforehand. I wish I knew Stratford better. I plan on a packed lunch on the train going there - cheese, veggies and some berries and will do my best the rest of the time.

See y'all late Friday or early Saturday. Hang in there.

__________________

Change isnít easy. But if you donít change, you stay the same, and whereís the fun in that?

I was diagnosed with diabetes in March of this year and am looking for a way to control this and hopefully get rid of my medication.

What eating plans do you all use. I know one does not fit all but it's very confusing - one tells you to eat this way, the other tells you to eat that way I'm just looking for something that is right for me.

Sorry this is a quick flyby, but will catch up with everyone later. I believe things are finally coming together for me. Although I'm watching the calorie/carb woe, I'm still using a lot of SBD with it because it just seems to work better for me. My bs was back down to 113 this morning and my bp is staying below 120/80 which is normal for me. I'm finding eating out is more of a problem than I thought it would be. I have no problem eating healthy for my woe, but I do find that even eating healthy in restaurants seems to make the bs reading to be a little higher for a day or two after. I think this must be the difference in their way of preparation and home preparations. But I can live with that, I just have to learn to adjust other meals and snacks to compensate for it. All part of learning how to deal with living with this. Now I've got to try to help my dear sweet hubby learn how to control his.

Thanks Everyone for all the encouragment and help you have given me. I love and appreciate each and everyone of you.

Lindyloo ~ love to have you join us here; I am on a combo-plan -- meaning a mix of sorts, taking the best from many of them actually. I am on a calorie /portioned /volumetrics /lowercomplexcarb (not NO carb) /goodfats & wholefoods plan ...

And, I use tips from all the plans; hey, whatever works for me -- plus I try new things all the time. I picked up a SPAGETTI SQUASH today; never had that before and decided to try it (and they aren't cheap either). Will probably cook it up tomorrow.

Had spit BBQ chicken and a mixed coleslaw salad for lunch; and a light supper as well with a romaine mixed salad as it was too hot for a hot meal tonight. Got some walking in today; always glad for that, and did other daily exercises and some hand-weights today as well.

Hello, everyone! I'm still here. And, welcome, Lindyloo! I've been doing a "low-spike" diet. I found it on the website bloodsugar101.com thanks to someone here who posted it. Really, it is very similar to the South Beach Diet, so you could say I am doing that, too.

Trish -- I switched to the ReliOn products. Since I have not been officially diagnosed (I'm taking matters into my own hands), I needed to go the cheap route. They are very good. I bought the "confirm" meter and it works really well. The only problem is, the strips are hard to find. I would look on the internet to check for strip availability before you buy and just go where they have them. I had to drive all the way across town, and they only had the 20 strip package in stock (which were $9). Still, it's better than spending 60 dollars for 50 strips, which is how much my other meter's strips are.

Ruth -- I went to a birthday party this weekend, and I think I did okay. I had fruit and a hotdog. A little while later they had ice cream cake. I ate 2 bites (they were so good!) and gave the rest to my husband. If I didn't have the bites, I think I would have felt deprived. Cake is my weakness.

Rosebud -- I've been trying to take a walk every evening. My husband even started walking with me. P.S. let us know how the squash turned out!

Fatmad -- You are an inspiration!

Anyway, I have not been checking as much do to the fact that my strips are running low. I need to go get some more. I can tell if something is wrong, because I usually get a headache and feel really tired. I felt great all day today until now. I just had a piece of light bread with peanut butter. Maybe it was too many carbs. I will have to check in a bit.

Linda Glad to have you here. I agree it does get confusing when there are so many ways to eat even for diabetes. My doctor gave three diets to choose from. The ADA diet, a low carb diet and a general deal where you divide your plate in 3 sections 1/4 protein, 1/4 starchy carbs and 1/2 veggies. I went on line and read and there are sooo many different kinds of low carb diets. I decided to go with the low carb diet he provided and it works out to be very similar to South Beach. I also check bs after I eat certain foods. For example, I drink a Protein low carb shake in the morning for breakfast. I usually make it with water which is one option, but this morning I decided to try using lowfat milk. I will check bs reading 2 hrs after because I didn't feel as well as I usually do... kind of zapped my energy. My Daddy is allergic to dairy products but won't give them up. I suspect that I can't use the milk even low carb. I'll know that when I check bs. I suddenly realized that if I can't use the milk that I may have an allergy toward dairy products as well. Maybe the zapped energy when I eat eggs isn't the eggs but the cheese I was using on it. Also may just need to switch to lower carb or FF dairy. I say all that to say that everyone is different and what one person can tolerate may not be tolerated by another. I believe this is a process of learning what works for each of us individually. I can't eat some grains because bs skyrockets, however, I can eat others that doesn't bother me at all. Don't get discouraged, just take it slow and easy and you will learn what works for you.

Fatmad I've been thinking about trying to change a recipe I have for ice cream to lowcarb. Could you please share your recipe for the ice cream and cheesecake? I changed all my recipes to lowfat when I did lowfat and have been wondering why can't I change my favorite recipes to lowcarb. I think it makes doing this a little more like fun.

Cande My daughter told me she buys a grain bread by Nature's Own that has no sugar. I'm going to look for that today and hope I can handle it.

Hubby has blood test for coumadin today so we are going to do our grocery shopping after. Going to be a hot day heat index of 105 so won't want to be out in it too much or too long.

MADELEINE ~ WE WANT RECIPES!!! I would love to have the cheesecake and cauliflower mock potato salad recipes please; and I just know the others here would too! THANKS!

CANDES ~ am baking that spagetti squash today for dinner. Yesterday, I discovered that I still have a Christmas Icecream Cake in the bottom of my freezer from Christmas becuz no-one wanted any (so, I will probably end up tossing it). Most of our friends are becoming very health conscious too.

TRISH ~ I agree with what you said to LINDA. A while back, my BSL's had slipped up to the 6's so I switched to an egg-based breakfast. I have an egg & no-fat cheese slice (I am lactose intolerant) on a WW wg sandwich thin each day (sometimes with a very lean ham slice or a slice of smoked chicken); OR 1.5 egg omelette + a bran wg toast.

The other thing is that we haven't had pasta for a while; and my sugars are back down in the 5.0/80 range again, so I think I found two of my worst triggers. I do have bran cereal here now if I get a craving for cereal or am in a hurry. I have whole grain spagetti on hand which we will have as an occasional treat now (maybe once a month) but I will cut my complex carbs for lunch & BF of that day too.

I can have a cube of cheddar cheese (any of the hard cheeses) for my evening snack most nights now; becuz it is fermented, it doesn't bother me -- and I can tolerate yogurt or yogurt ice cream (as they are cultured). I may try the lactose-free milk sometime. Someone suggested soy cheese & yogurt but we can't get that here.

We had a huge storm last night with lots of lightening;and it poured and poured. We have a metal roof on our building so it is really nice to hear the rain on the roof. Our garden and my beans are lovin' it ...